You like rally lights?

"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
03/21/2018 at 20:56 • Filed to: None

Sneak peak...

I’ve got two of these. 4 10 watt Cree LEDs each. I’ve seen this particular light and good god is it bright. Flood pattern. These will be cornering lights. Possibly turn signals as well, depending on available space....

I have an additional two but they have 3 watt Cree LEDs instead. And they’re amber. Also flood pattern. These will be fog lights.

And my two cheapo LED rounds from Amazon that I may or may not use for something. I don’t really need more flood lights, and they’re too large to work as rear view lights with the mounting setup I’m thinking about

This is the starting point of my rally light build, and as with everything else, it will drag on because I have very specific goals and minimal time/skills. Did I mention I want all of the lights to be hidden so as to retain OEM looks...?

This is basically the project I’ll work on when I need a break from turbo things (oops, spoiler alert!)

DISCUSSION (39)

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 21:00

Not a big fan of square lights but cool none the less

AestheticsInMotion > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
03/21/2018 at 21:03

Me neither. But my goal is to get these behind the turn signal covers so they’re practically invisible. Until they’re switched on. It will be a tight fit but they should work

vicali > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 21:09

Nice pods, keep them out of the water or re-seal them yourself.

wafflesnfalafel > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 21:10

I saw a Crosstrek the other day with a couple of those mounted on the roof rack - looked pretty cool. Probably adds drag/wind noise though...

AestheticsInMotion > vicali
03/21/2018 at 21:15

When you say re-seal them what exactly do you mean? I think they’ll stay safe if I can get them mounted where I want ‘em. And they have an ip69 rating so they should be good either way right?

AestheticsInMotion > wafflesnfalafel
03/21/2018 at 21:17

It’s amazing how much cooler a Subaru can look with just a few lights. Maybe worth the noise... They’re pretty noisy already!

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 21:32

Wait... so you are actually making a rally car?? That explains your led obsession haha

AestheticsInMotion > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
03/21/2018 at 21:35

Not exactly... It’s a do anything car. My final build vision is literally just “maximum fun” in any situation. Swiss army knife Miata. I plan on still DD’ing it for the foreseeable future, and hooning on forest service roads, drifting, rallyx, autox, track days, big road trips, little road trips, snow adventures....

Plus I’m using it as a platform to teach me how to wrench and gain experience building a car. So the more work I do the better!

vicali > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 21:40

I mean they are Chinese eBay led pods- they are going to leak and fog inside and eventually short out. You can either buy another pair when they do, or take them apart and re seal them with silicone (even then moisture will get in through the cord) and get a bit more time, or buy Rigids and send them back when it happens, or buy BajaDesigns.

Not being a dink but you get what you pay for - there is nothing wrong with those lights they just aren’t forever lights.

AestheticsInMotion > vicali
03/21/2018 at 22:12

Fair enough. I went off reviews on various offroading and rally forums and Black Oak seemed to be pretty well loved... But outside of Miata-specific stuff, lighting isn’t something I’m too familiar with yet. Looks like they’ll replace them if water gets inside, but I’ll definitely keep the silicone in mind! You’ve helped me out a lot with Miata stuff in the past, just curious if you have any particular experience with these or just recognize the casing?

My main concern is fitting them behind the stock lens covers. I wish I had been able to find a 1x4 bar, that would have been perfect

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 22:13

Dope yeah I feel you. I’m learning so much from working on mine. Simple, yet frustrating engines haha. My focus is very similar to yours as far as it’s my only car so it has to do everything I want to do!

vicali > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 22:26

Have you seen these guys? This is my local tsd rally- they kind of joked it- didn’t place well- but made a cool video.

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AestheticsInMotion > vicali
03/21/2018 at 22:32

Oh man. I need to find a group like this

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 22:39

That looks like it’s gonna be sweet and discrete enough to not look stupid. Looking forward to the final product.

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
03/21/2018 at 23:02

I hope so. My main concern is whether or not the clear turn signal and corner light lenses will distort the beams, and if the light will be cut off too badly. But we’ll see! Took me 8ish months to finish the stereo system, so I’m shooting for 3 months here lol

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
03/21/2018 at 23:13

How are you wiring them? I sure hope you aren’t just splitting the headlight for the 12v power lol. You can use it as a signal relay but I imagine you need a dedicated line to the alternator or something heavy like that.

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
03/21/2018 at 23:31

Honestly I was thinking about going straight to the battery.... Each individual light harness is wired up with a relay, switch and fuse, and the wiring is long enough to get the relay close to the battery. But honestly, no clue yet. First step is fitment, then I’ll worry about power!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 00:30

The battery is really far away to make that work, running wiring all the way to the trunk seems like it would be annoying. But yeah I suppose fitment kind of matters but it’s somewhat irrelevant if it doesn’t light up lol. Either way, both are just tasks to complete. Are you trying to replace the turn signal housing with these entirely? I feel like that would be easiest. Who needs turn signals on the front anyways?

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
03/22/2018 at 00:48

Yeah, replace the housing. And grind down the back of the lense so it’s as thin and clear as possible. Hopefully I’ll be able to fit the turn signal bulbs next to the LEDs!

Tell me about it.... I really wish my battery was under the hood. Maybe I could run them to the fuse box..?

sony1492 > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 01:24

I was gonna hound you about the turbo endeavor but I take it that you’ve come to a decision on what your going to do?

The rally lights put in that turn signal housing will look really cool. It would be interesting to use those housings as the driving lights and the pop-ups as really large fog lights. (Flip a switch and the fog lights pop up)

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 01:31

I guess you didn’t want to go the simple way and put them in the “mouth” area on the car? I’ve seen others do that, would save some fab work. I would think the alternator and starter would be best places to tap into, just because those draw more current than anything else. I’m curious if you could just run a ballast of some sort like for HIDs since that seems to work without crazy wiring nightmares.

AestheticsInMotion > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
03/22/2018 at 01:37

That was the original idea, but after trying it with round lights.... Not a fan. And I think it would look even worse with the square pods. Still, that’s my backup plan. Obviously it would simplify things greatly haha

Kinja'd!!!

AestheticsInMotion > sony1492
03/22/2018 at 01:41

I am planning on possibly using the “turn signal housing rally lights” as either driving lights... Or actual turn signals! Depends on whether there’s enough space to keep the OG turn signal bulb.

Yep. I’m gathering parts for my cooling system overhaul, hoping to have everything in about a week. So I’ll do the cooling stuff... Then install a Megasquirt ECU and bigger injectors, then replace a few engine seals and finally get started with the turbo build!

sony1492 > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 01:52

Good call on doing the cooling first. My cars been running hot since the turbos came online, and now I’ve got to wait however long for the aluminum radiator to arrive.

Are you going to tune the car NA and then turbo or tune it just once.?

AestheticsInMotion > sony1492
03/22/2018 at 01:59

Tune NA and then turbo. Should give me some more practice, and it could be awhile before I have everything I need after the ECU and injectors.

Sucks doesn’t it? I’ve been waiting two weeks for some hood vents to arrive and finally got an email today - the hood vents should SHIP in another week. K.

sony1492 > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 02:16

I’m not proud of the fact that most the parts I buy are on eBay but I will say I’ve never had the issue of late shipping or backorder parts.

I was under the impression you ordered a turbo kit, if so what’s included. (The turbo discussion probably deserves it’s own post at this point)

AestheticsInMotion > sony1492
03/22/2018 at 02:35

The ebay turbo build my buddy put together for his outback was fantastic. Unfortunately he blew his motor after two days (he was running 17lbs of boost...)

Here’s some copy and pasted info. Basically the kit comes with the turbo itself, manifold, downpipe, oil and water lines, hardware

The wait is over. Trackspeed’s DIY EFR Turbocharger System is the result of seven years of exhaustive research and development into turbocharged Mazda Miatas, and it represents the culmination of everything we have learned since we started racing turbocharged Miatas in 2007. By combining the most advanced turbocharger on the market (BorgWarner EFR) with a high-quality cast stainless steel exhaust manifold and stainless steel mandrel bent exhaust components, we are able to offer a kit which out-spools, out-responds, and out-performs the competition in every measurable metric.

Our kit starts with the best manifold on the market, bar none. Shell mold cast in the United States from 347 stainless steel, our manifold provides the performance of a custom welded tubular manifold and the reliability of a cast manifold in a single package.

Mated to this manifold is BorgWarner’s EFR turbocharger, which features a titanium aluminide turbine wheel for unmatched response and spool, an internal wastegate which outperforms comparable external wastegates, an integrated bypass valve for simplicity and ease of installation, and an integrated electronic boost controller for easily adjustable boost levels. The EFR6258 is our standard turbocharger, providing excellent spool and unmatched response while still providing up to 325whp without a decrease in efficiency. The EFR6758 maintains the exceptional spool and response of its baby brother but lifts the power cap to over 450whp.

Fastening the two is an EFR-specific version of our legendary Inconel Stud Kit. Imitated by other turbo vendors, but never emulated, our kit combines proprietary Inconel fasteners with Cotronics high-temperature chemical threadlocker and stainless-steel Stage8 fasteners to ensure your turbocharger stays securely fastened in even the most extreme environments.

Our EFR-specific 3" downpipe is compound mandrel bent to eliminate unnecessary weld joints, and includes a dedicated wideband O2 sensor bung and stainless flex section for improved reliability.

sony1492 > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 02:41

I’m interested to see this come together.

Long-Voyager > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 07:07

The real question is:

Do you even Rally Light Bro?:

Kinja'd!!!

This is a cool build man, I look forward to reading more of your progress.

Note of caution: Reseal those lights before installing them.

They have a bad habit of leaking through the cap, which will destroy the lights.

Simply pull those 6 allens out, put a bead of sealant around the mating surfaces, and put them back together. It’ll make your lights last!

Long-Voyager > wafflesnfalafel
03/22/2018 at 07:12

They really don’t add any noise. My giant 42" bar under my basket gives me zero wind noise.

Long-Voyager > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 07:13

Pull the end caps off and put a bead of sealant on the mating surfaces. These are great lights for the money, but they get moisture in them through the end caps.

It’s simple to fix, I’ve done it on all my LEDs.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > AestheticsInMotion
03/22/2018 at 08:51

Haha yeah that does look a little goofy. I like the windshield placement, makes it look like bug antenna

Milky > vicali
03/22/2018 at 09:41

Would you mind posting the video again? I think Kinja is being Kinja and I’d really like to look at some rally Miatas because I want to rally(cross) my Miata.

Kinja'd!!!